PEPPOL-COMMON-R040: GLN (scheme 0088) has an invalid format

StandardPeppol BIS Billing 3.0 (OpenPeppol)SeverityError: the invoice is rejectedSyntaxUBL, CIIApplies toInvoices and credit notes sent over the Peppol network (UBL) and, because XRechnung embeds the Peppol rule set, every XRechnung as well.

Official rule text

[PEPPOL-COMMON-R040] GLN must have a valid format according to GS1 rules.

Why this error occurs

An identifier declared with schemeID 0088 is a GS1 Global Location Number and must be 13 digits with a correct GS1 check digit. The rule checks cbc:EndpointID, cac:PartyIdentification/cbc:ID and cbc:CompanyID with schemeID 0088 (UBL) or ram:URIID, ram:ID and ram:GlobalID with schemeID 0088 (CII) for digits only and a valid checksum. It fails when a DUNS number, an internal customer number or a GTIN is put under scheme 0088, or when the GLN contains spaces or a typo.

How to fix it

Use the real 13-digit GLN assigned by GS1, without spaces or prefixes, e.g. 4012345000009. Verify the check digit (GS1 modulo-10 algorithm) before sending. If the number is not a GLN, change the scheme: 0060 for DUNS, 0192 for a Norwegian organisation number, 9930 for a German VAT ID on EndpointID, or omit schemeID for an internal identifier on cac:PartyIdentification.

Example (valid)

<cbc:EndpointID schemeID="0088">4012345000009</cbc:EndpointID>

What the validator checks

Checked element (context):

UBL

cbc:EndpointID[@schemeID = '0088'] | cac:PartyIdentification/cbc:ID[@schemeID = '0088'] | cbc:CompanyID[@schemeID = '0088']

Test (XPath):

matches(normalize-space(), '^[0-9]+$') and u:gln(normalize-space())

CII

ram:URIID[@schemeID = '0088'] | ram:ID[@schemeID = '0088'] | ram:GlobalID[@schemeID = '0088']

Test (XPath):

matches(normalize-space(), '^[0-9]+$') and u:gln(normalize-space())

Check your invoice

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Same check via API:

curl -F file=@invoice.xml https://einvoicechecker.com/v1/validate

Related rules

PEPPOL-COMMON-R041 Norwegian organisation number (scheme 0192) has an invalid format
PEPPOL-COMMON-R042 Danish organization number (CVR) MUST be stated in the correct format
PEPPOL-COMMON-R043 Belgian enterprise number (scheme 0208) has an invalid format
PEPPOL-COMMON-R044 Italian IPA code (scheme 0201) has an invalid format
PEPPOL-COMMON-R045 Tax Code (Codice Fiscale) must be stated in the correct format
PEPPOL-COMMON-R046 Tax Code (Codice Fiscale) must be stated in the correct format
PEPPOL-COMMON-R047 Italian VAT Code (Partita Iva) must be stated in the correct format
PEPPOL-COMMON-R049 Swedish organisation number (scheme 0007) has an invalid format

Frequently asked questions

What does PEPPOL-COMMON-R040 mean?

PEPPOL-COMMON-R040 is a peppol bis billing 3.0 rule: GLN must have a valid format according to GS1 rules.

Will my invoice be rejected because of PEPPOL-COMMON-R040?

Yes. PEPPOL-COMMON-R040 is flagged "fatal"; validators (KoSIT, Peppol access points, the German ZRE/OZG-RE portals) reject the invoice until it is fixed.

Which formats does PEPPOL-COMMON-R040 apply to?

Invoices and credit notes sent over the Peppol network (UBL) and, because XRechnung embeds the Peppol rule set, every XRechnung as well. Syntax: UBL and CII.

Source: Peppol BIS Billing 3.0.20 (November 2025). Catalogue generated from the official schematron on 2026-10-14.